Luminous sign



H. GRAUERT LUMINOUS S IGN Oct. 31, 1939.

Filed Aug. 2a, 195s s sheets-sheet 1 OOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOO 0000000000 oOooooooQo oooooooooo oooooooooo oooooooooo Oooooooooo oooooooooo oooooooooo Oooobooooo oooooooooo 0000000000 III 4 H. GRAUERT LUMINOUS SIGN oooooo OOOOGOOvr OOOOOOO OOQOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOOO OOOOOO OOOOOO.

Oooooo Oooooo Oooooo oooooo 000,000

./avenfon LUMINDUS SIGN Ida.

`Patented Oct. 31, 1939 PATENT osi-ica LUMINOUS SIGN Heinz`- Grauert, Stuttgart, Germany Application August 2s, 1936. serial No. 98,290 In GermanyOctober 31, 1935 4 Claims. (Cl. 1774-350) Myinvention relates to news distributing and advertising systems'and more especially to a system, in which electric'lamps are relied upon to form letters, iigures, etc. It has particular ref- 5 erence to that kind of apparatusl in which the i letters, words and sentences appear to travel across a lampr board and it isone of the objects of my invention to provide means whereby the `words or sentences formed by the lamps can be f 20 tion. In these apparatus the individual ball contacts are connected by wires with corresponding i incandescent lamps and whenever a perforation in the traveling sheet meets a contact; the current is closed and the respective lamp lighted.

This known device involves the drawback that the perforated sheet must be drawn continuously from the right towards the left and therefore the letters can be madey visible on the lampboard only in such manner Ithat the letters rst appear 30 on the` right-hand side and then travel towards the left. These devices involve the further drawback that as a rule the letters move too fast and consequently appear distorted and can only be read with difilculty. lMoreover only a few 35 words, of which the 'text is composed, can be read simultaneously. If it is desired to replace the text by a different one, new perforated sheets must be prepared and inserted in the device, it being impossible to bring in any changesfin the 40 text under operation.

In contradistinction to these devices the present invention, lwhile alsocomprising a lampboard and contacts connected with the lamps, employs separate types for actuating the contacts 45 serving to make the corresponding letters appear on the lamp board. Thesetypes are exchangeably mounted on a feed device or conveyorV and are pressed down upon the contacts successively by mechanical means. Thus the traveling signs is()v are here produced similarly as the letters printed on a sheet, since individual vexchangeable types are pressed down on the contacts in predetermined succession according to the requirements of each individualcase. The single types are 55 passed one aiter the other over any desired numyber of rows of contacts corresponding to superposed rows of lamps. I'thereby obtain that on the lamp board the individual luminous lines appear to gradually move upwardly so that any number of lines cariberead simultaneously, each 5 individual line remaining visibleto the eye for a longer period of time.

By correspondingly arranging the printing device I can easily provide for the types assembled to form a line to be depressed in such succession, that the line of vluminous letters appears to be formed in the direction from the left towards the right, similarly as is done in writing.

I am now going to explain more in detail my 'invention and the .manner in which it can be l5 carried through to the best advantage, having reference to the drawings ail'ixed to the specification and forming part thereof, and which illustrate several embodiments of my invention in a u purely diagrammatic manner by Way of example.

In the drawings:`

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing of the iirst modification, being an elevation, partly in vertical section, with part oi.' one side `wall broken away. 25

l Fig.v2 is a cross section, partly in elevation,I on the line II-H in Fig. 1, y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged showing of the left-hand portion of the device shown in Fig. l, some parts being shown in section on the line III- III in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section. of a type carrier,

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line V-V in Fig. 4, and w y Fig. 6 is a bottom view of this type. carrier` while Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of a 4modiiied form of type carrier.

Referring to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 4o'- to 3, A is the driving means, B the printing device,l C the table supporting the contacts and the conveyor, D the conveyor proper, E are exi changeable types, F is the lamp board, H the wiring and K a source of current.

l is a ground plate and 2 are standards supporting the "`p1ate, while 3 is the driving shaft. 4, 4 are lever arms keyed on theshaft and 5 is one of the two' sprockets mounted on the ends of the shaft. The shaft 3 is driven for instance 50 by ymeans of a sprocket 62, which may also be replaced by a pulley, a motor or the like.

Above the driving shaft 3 a shaft 6 is supported in the standards 2, which carries two cam disks 1.

The gaps 63 in these disks can be entered by the 55 rolls 54 of the levers 4. On part of their cincumference the 'cam disks I are formed with teeth 8 and they are further weighted each with a counter-weight 9. The teeth of each disk mesh with a rack Il] xed to a slide movably arranged in the groundplate The slide supports a feeder I2, which carries a stop I3 tiltably mounted on an axle I4 and acted upon byV a spring I5 tending to hold it in its position of rest shown in Fig. 1. The' slides Il and feeders I2 are so disposed in the groundplate I, that the racks I0 are guided in slots`19 of the plate.

Sideways of the slides II the upper standards I5 are xed on the groundplate I, these standards supporting the cam shaft I1 of the pimting de-- vice, which is driven by laterally arranged gear wheels or sprockets I8 having the same diameter as the sprockets 5 mounted on the driving shaft 3. The sprockets 5 and IB are coupled by a chain I9 or the like and the shaft I1 thus revolves in synchronism with the shaft 3.

Between the upper standards I6 are arranged two lock ng members 20, each such member consisting of a gripper 2| formed with two notches |05 and a pressure rod 22 guided in a double bracket 23 fixed to the standards I6. Rollers 24 are arranged at the ends of the pressure rod and acoil spring 25 acting on one end of a double-armed lever 26 tends to force the rod 22 upwardly, whereby the gripper 2| is forced downwardly.

The position of the gripper 26 is inuenced by a cam disk 21 mounted on the cam shaft I1. By depressing the rollers 24 and pressure rod 22 this cam causes the coil spring 25'to`be compressed and the locking member 2U to be lifted. On the groundplate I are arranged between the two standards I6 one or a plurality of boxshaped contact carriers, on which continuous or linterrupted rows of ball contacts 29 arel arranged.

As shown in Fig. 3 these ball contacts may be formed in a well known manner of insulated tubes 65, in the borings 1| of which coil springs 66 are arranged, which force the contact balls 29 intothe narrow top sections of the tubes. Conductive caps 61 serve to close the bottom ends of the tubes and are connected by means of wires 49 with the individual lamps.

Instead of ball contacts also other types of resilient contacts may be provided, such as for instance bent leaf springs in conductive connection with the terminals, or contact rollers.

Above the rows of-contacts 29 is arranged the pressure device B, which substantially consists of cams 30 xed to the cam shaft I1, the depressing members 3| and the type carriers 55. 'I'he juxtaposed cams 30 are formed with dilferent cam faces, the circumferential length of which gradually diminishesfrom the left to the right.A

The depressing members 3| are formed similarly as `the pressure rods 22, each consisting of a vertically guided rod 32 (Fig. 3). held between the lowered by brackets 23, androllers 35 mounted on the cross pins- 34` with the interpositionV of-ball bearings. A leaf spring 36 permanently tends to force each Vdepressing member upwardly.

Above the rows of ball contacts is arranged a frame 31 mounted on four supports 38. Between eachpair of oppositely arranged supports extends atop strutl 39 and a bottom strut 40. In-

the` top strut 39 set screws 4| can beadjusted, which carry bearings 42 arranged to be liftedA oradjusting .vthe screws 4|. Each pair of bearings 4 2 supports a vdepressing shaft 43 andftthe f lrstabearing .42 i s arranged directly to throughout.

the rear of the depressing members 3| above the ball contacts.

From each contact 29 a conductor 49 leads to the lamp board 59 carrying a number of lamps 5I which corresponds to the number of ycontacts present. Laterally of the rows of contacts guide rails 52 are arranged on which glides a conveyor chain formed with hinge pins 54, on which can be suspended the type carriers 55. y

AAs shown more in detail in Figs. 4 to '7, such a type carrier 55 is formed of two leaf springs 56, the ends of which grip two adjoining hinge pins 54 of the conveyor. The springs may also be replaced by other members, for instance by sheet metal strips. The springs 56 are connected with each other by two bridge pieces 51, on each of which are mounted two coil springs 58 carrying a metal box 59, which in the modification shown in Fig. '7 is formed with'a double bottom 12, 13. The outer ends of these bottoms are spaced at 60 to make room for the up-turned ends of the types 6|, which may either be attached to the bottom by their upturned ends, as shown in Fig. 3, or may be held in place below the bottom by their upturned ends entering interstices 6U between the two bottom plates (Fig. '7).

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, the types have the form of metal plates 6| formed with projections 61. caps fixed by soldering orin some other suitable manner or tongues produced by -punching from the plate 6| may be provided. All these projecting parts are spaced exactly as the contacts 29 and, on the type carriers being depressed, will make contact with the contacts whereby the lamp current is cut in.

In the modication of Fig. 7, the-type plate 6I is made of insulating material and formed with perforations 68 spaced like the contact balls, which, when the type carriers and types are depressed, will enter the perforations and make contact with the metal bottom 12.

The types can readily be exchanged so that in this manner any desired texts can be composed in the simplest manner.

'I'he current of the battery K, which is connected to one terminal of the lamps and to the machine structure, is led to the lamps 5| through wires 49.

In order to place the machine into operative position, the text is composed on the type carriers by means of the respective types and the carriers are then attached, by means of the springsA 56, to adjoining hinge pins 54, of the conveyor 53.

It is however valso possible to fix the type carriers permanently on the conveyor and to attach the types to the carriers in such manner, that they can readily be inserted in the' carriers for` easy exchange (Fig. 1). Instead of the projections 61 or perforations also depressions may be formed in the `insulating type plate 6|, whereby the bottom surfaces of the types will be plane In the device above described as mustranng the principle underlying this invention only three Instead of these projections type carriers 55 are shown in juxtaposition in Fig. 2 and since each type carrier here encloses a single type connected with a corresponding number of lamps to form a single letter, only three letters will'appear, one after the other, lin each llneJon the lamp board, it being here as.

sumed that eight horizontal rows of lamps on the f board are required to form .the words or gures in each line. ,It is to be understood, however, that while merely three types with their carriers are shown on the drawings, In actual practice the number of types and type carriers present in each row extending in parallel with shaft I1 will correspond to the number of letters or gures in one 5 line, and the number of cams 30 on this shaft will equal this number of type carriers.

The operation of this device is the following: I'he driving shaft 3 causes the cam shaft I'I to revolve by means of the chain transmission 5, I9, I8. Since'the circumferentiallengths of the cam faces 30 diminish gradually as shown in Fig. 2, the individual depressing members 3I are depressed one after the other by the cams and in consequence thereof first the left hand type .car-

rier 55 in Fig. 2,- `thereafter the middle one and Y then the third one will be depressed together with the types 6I attached to themso asto meet the ball or other contacts 29. The lamps 5I correr spending to these contacts are thrown in and v2C form the three letters of the bottom line by means of the lamps in the eight bottom rows 'on 'the i lamp board. This arrangement also provides that the individualletters appear on the board from the left towards the right.

25 VWhile one row of luminous signs is made to appear on the board in consequence of the pressing operation, the locking member is pressed onto the conveyor chain by the springs and any displacement of the chain and type carriers is rendered impossible, while the line of luminous signs is rendered visible. On this operation having come to an end, the lever arm 4 xed to the driving shaft 3 cornes to act on the cam disk D'I, turningthis disk in such manner that the teeth 8 of the disk cooperate with the teeth of the rack I0 to shift the slide I I and the feeder I2 mounted thereon further. At the same time the cam disk I'I causes the pressure rod 22 and lever 26 to unlock the conveyor chain..

The feederAV I2 now applies 4itself against the two ends ofI a hinge pin 54 and thereby shifts the chain 53 of the conveyor through a distance equalling the length of one link of the chain, so that the type carriers 55 and the types 6I attached to them also travel over the rows of contacts. During this operation the depressing spindles 43 arranged above the contacts exert pressure on the type carriersi so that now the ball contacts are caused to feed'current to the lamps same time the second row (parallel to shaft I1) of three type carriers has depressed some of the contacts of the bottommost eight rows of lamps, so that now three other letters appear at the bottom of the board.` In the meantime the iirst row of type carriers has been shifted over and pressed down upon another section of contacts (Fig. 3), thereby causing the letters formerly l forming the bottom line to appear in the ,middle part of the lamp board,l.the contacts having on their waypassed over and switched-in temporarily the lamps in the intervening rows of lamps, so

that each line of letters appears to climb up wards on the board.

When the feeders I2 have shifted the two ends of the hinge pin 54 through the distance of a link, the pressure el'rerted on the cam disk 1 by the lever arm 4 will cease and the lever will now be free to revolve, while the counterweight 9 fixedto the cam disk 'I willrcarry the disk and its teeth backtogetner with the rack lo and slidev fixed to it. During this operation the back of the stop 30 of the feeder applies itself onto the ends of the next following hinge pin 54 and, in tiltingorwardly, slides underneath the pin toof the higher rows of the lamp board. At the' be thereafter returned into its original position by the spring I5. The counterweight 9 returning the cam-disk may' also be replaced by a spring or by some other suitable returning device.

' Duringthe above operation the driving shaft 3 has passed through a full revolution and the same operations are now gone through anew, one type carrier 55 after the other being pressed downwardly by the pressure members 3l, until all the luminous letters of a line have been rendered visible in the bottom row of lamps on the board.

Now the conveyor chain 53 is again shifted through the length of fa link, whereby the two visible lines olf the luminous script are also made to climb upwards on the board. The line first formed now reaches the top` section of lamps, while the line formed'in the second place appears in the middle section and the line about to beA formedin the bottom section of the lamps. On the third line having been printed (rendered Avisible), all three lines ascend. simultaneously and nally, in proportion to the height of the lamp board, the top line will disappear.

I thereby obtain that as many lines of luminous lines can be printed and rendered visible simul` taneously by the machine as hinge pins are simultaneously arranged'above the contacts.

I am further enabled to connect with a single printing orA depressing devicrl'lvV desired number of lamp boa-rds so thatthe printed lines can be rendered visible simultaneously in different places.

Preferably the printing or pressure device and,vv

the means for operating it may be arranged togetherV with the lamp boards on a carriage, whereby a movable advertising apparatus with traveling luminous signs is obtained.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire y to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described for obvious modications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

The term type as used in this specification I andin the claims appended to it is to be understo'od as including. any device adapted, when passed over and actuated to close a plurality of contacts, will act on a selected number of lamps arranged to form a specic letter. figure, word, sentence or other sign.

I claim:

l. A device of the kind described comprising in combination, rows of lamps arranged in superposition, uniform groups of contacts, the contacts in each group being individually connected to the lamps of a row, a source of electrical energy for feedingfcurrentto said lamps, a row of type carriers, a .t'ype on each carrier, means for l first causing the types of each row to successively actuate the contacts connected to one row of lamps and means for thereaftencatging the same row of types to simultaneously actuate the contacts connected to'a superpcsed row of lamps.

2. A device of the kinddescrlbed comprising in combination, rows of lamps arranged inv superposition, uniform groups of contacts, the contacts in each group being individually connected to the lamps of a row, a source of electricalenergy for feeding current to said lamps, a row of type carriers, a type on each carrier, a cam shaft and cams of different shapes on said shaft and means inserted between said cams and saidtype carriers for first exerting pressure on the types of each row to successively actuate `'the contacts connected to one row of lamps and similar means for l types to simultaneously actuate the'contacts connected to a superposed row of lamps,

3. A device of the kind ldescribed comprising in combination, rows of lamps arranged lin superposition, uniform groups of contacts, the contacts in each group being individually connected to the lamps of a row, a source of electrical energy for feeding current to said lamps, a row of type carriers, a type on each carrier, means operative by mechanical pressure for rst causing the types of each row to successively actuate the contacts connected to one row of lamps, similar means for thereafter causing the same row of types. to simultaneously actuate the contacts connected to a superposed row of lamps and similar means for temporarily locking each row of carriers in operative position.

4. In a traveling electric sign display device, in

combination, rows oi" type carriers and types er.- lchangeably mounted on said carriers, the types in each row corresponding to the text of one line of the display, rows of contacts associated with said rows of type carriers and rows of lamps associated with said rows of contacts, means for causing the types in one row to successively actuate associated contacts and lamps whereby to successively flash the characters forming the bottom line of the display, means for moving said row of type carriers to a new row of contacts whereby to cause the text of the bottom line to gradually ascend to a, higher line, and for simultaneously moving the next row of type carriers to the irst named row of contacts, whereby tg successively ash the new text in the bottom line while maintaining the higher line visible.

. HEINZ GRAUERT. 

